Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

The classic PB&J combo gets a delicious twist with these bars. Serve 'em warm and soft with a tall glass of milk.

Makes 1 (9x9-inch) pan
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus cooling time
Baking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup packed down sugar
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• A pinch of salt
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 10 tablespoons (about 1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into small cubes
• 1 cup strawberry jam

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan with butter and dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.

2. Sift together flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add sugars, oats, and salt; mix until it all comes together. Add butter and mix until no large pieces remain. It should have the consistency of a soft dough.

3. Set aside ⅓ of the dough. Press the remaining dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

4. Remove from the oven. Spread strawberry jam evenly over the baked crust. Crumble remaining dough on top in almond-sized pieces.

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumble is golden brown. It will look and feel soft but will firm up as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.